"Block those guys, please," Rodgers said this week regarding his advice to rookie left tackle David Bakhtiari and second-year right tackle Don Barclay.

Rodgers will have his own say in Sunday's season opener at Candlestick Park, because it's not as if the Packers gave him a $110 million contract extension in April to become a crash-test dummy.

Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter for the NFC divisional playoff game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Rodgers does, however, seem more endangered and less invincible than a year ago, when he was the reigning league MVP. But last season started the same way it would end: with a loss to his childhood team, the 49ers.

The 49ers aren't taking for granted those defeats of Rodgers & Co.: 30-22 in last year's regular-season opener and 45-31 in the divisional playoff game.

"I'm not going to say we solved him, because he put points on the board," 49ers defensive tackle Ray McDonald said. "He's a good quarterback, and he's going to come out slinging Sunday."

Rodgers passed for 257 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the playoff loss, though 63 yards and a touchdown came on a garbage-time drive. The 49ers answered his challenge by clamping down on defense.

"It became a basketball-on-grass type game where it was just spread out, throw it every down," 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "We were able to hold up, which is hard against that team."

Rodgers' history with the 49ers stretches much further back, of course: a Chico native who grew up a 49ers fan, went to Cal, was bypassed by the 49ers in the draft. He said he even "still follows the Niners. They're close to home there."

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the third quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2013. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)

Rodgers won 2009 and 2010 regular-season games against the 49ers while combining to pass for 642 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. But his 303 yards and two TD passes in last season's opener weren't enough, when a fourth-quarter interception by NaVorro Bowman helped seal the 49ers' win.

Regardless of the Packers' blocking concerns, the 49ers expect Rodgers to lead a pass-oriented offense, albeit with a quicker release of the ball.

"They've got a $100 million quarterback, so we knew they're going to want him to throw the ball," linebacker Patrick Willis said. "They got some good receivers and a good tight end, so we know they're not going to get too far away from what they do, and that's pass."

Green Bay Packers's starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter for the NFC divisional playoff game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

But can Bakhtiari and Barclay pass protect against edge rushers Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks?

Bryan Bulaga's training-camp knee injury turned the left-tackle spot over to Bakhtiari, a fourth-round draft pick who grew up in Burlingame; older brother Eric played five games for the 49ers last season at linebacker. Barclay started only the Packers' final six games last season.

Smith said of facing Bakhtiari: "He's an athletic tackle. They trust him to protect Aaron Rodgers, and we'll see how that goes."

Smith sacked Rodgers once in last season's opener, the first of Smith's franchise-record 19½ sacks last season. Rodgers went on to get sacked a career-high 51 times, while also passing for 4,295 yards and 39 touchdowns (eight interceptions).

Rodgers said all the right things this week to encourage his offensive tackles, such as: "Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith are two of the best in the league, and as a pair, present a tough challenge. But we expect those guys to get out there and block them up. It's going to be tough for them, but we've got to win a lot of those battles."

Three years ago, Rodgers embarked on his first Super Bowl-winning season. On Sunday, he'll begin his sixth season as the Packers' starter, and he'll do so as the NFL's all-time leader with a 104.9 career passer rating.

"He throws it just as good as anybody, if not better than anybody, and he's got all the elusiveness that goes with it," Fangio said. "And he's got good guys to throw it to, so they're a hard operation to stop."

Can the 49ers stop Rodgers a third consecutive time? Kickoff is at 1:25 p.m.

After being sacked an average of 37.8 times in his first four seasons as starter, Aaron Rodgers was sacked a career-high 51 times in 2012. Here are the QBs who were sacked the most last season:QB, team SacksAaron Rodgers, GB 51Philip Rivers, SD 49Andy Dalton, CIN 46Andrew Luck, IND 41Jay Cutler, CHI 38